I Only Stomp on Weaklings

Beside the ever-flowing Dan River, on a large tree, Xie Jianqiu concealed himself, focusing intensely as he observed the movements on the river, his eyes solemn.

He had several injuries, his clothes stained with blood, making him look rather disheveled.

Clearly, these were the injuries left from the recent battle.

Normally, with his strength, dealing with a few Second Grade and Third Grade adversaries wouldn’t be difficult. However, he had been imprisoned for too long, injuring his Primordial Qi, and being pursued relentlessly, he was weakened further, his strength reduced to less than twenty percent, allowing those few Second Grades to take advantage.

Xie Jianqiu had once tracked the Sect Leader of the Star Moon Sect, witnessing him stealthily arrive here and dive into the water, disappearing without a trace.

At that time, he suspected there might be a secret passage leading directly to this place within the Star Moon Cave. Yet, despite diving into the water himself and searching for a long time, he couldn’t find the entrance.

Therefore, upon discovering that Jiang Yingxue and that woman, previously caged, had been rescued and headed towards the direction of the cave, he guessed that she was likely attempting to leave through the secret passage.

Thus, he decisively returned, leaving the Star Moon Cave, coming here to wait patiently.

"Damn it, they even took that woman with them."

Xie Jianqiu’s face showed agitation, with a hint of fear in his eyes. If he didn’t seize this moment while she was still relatively weakened to kill her, he feared he would never have peace again.

He tightly held an object in his hand; its cold touch brought him a bit of reassurance.

Luckily, with this item in hand, that woman couldn’t stir up too much trouble.

Just as he was pondering, a man and a woman surfaced on the river; precisely, the slippery brat from Six Gates, and the young girl from the Jiang Family possessing the "Cyan Simurgh Body."

Xie Jianqiu’s heart was filled with joy, yet he didn’t hurry to act; the prey had appeared, they couldn’t possibly escape. He continued to wait patiently.

However, after waiting for a while, he still couldn’t see the woman appear; he couldn’t help but grow more anxious.

At this point, the Six Gates brat seemed to have discovered something, approaching the heavily injured Second Grade from Six Gates.

He had long noticed that severely injured old man; the old man was gravely hurt, barely clinging to life. He didn’t even bother to eliminate him, to avoid alerting the woman.

Unexpectedly, the old man managed to gasp out, "Flee—quickly—"

This old ghost, when did he discover me?

Xie Jianqiu was furious, knowing this slippery brat was extremely cunning, fearing he would slip away once more; he immediately locked onto his aura. He waited to capture this brat before coercing him to reveal the woman’s whereabouts.

Thinking this through, he ceased to hide, emerging from concealment, and within a few bounds, he was already facing the brat.

In mid-air, he saw the brat make a strange move, covering the dying old man’s eyes with one hand, pressing the other on his chest, exerting force to crush his heart, "Rest in peace, senior; I will take care of your granddaughter."

Xie Jianqiu was somewhat inexplicable; did this brat regard him as some sort of person believing he would torture the old man? Utterly clueless.

He asked leisurely, "Are you not fleeing, brat?"

As soon as he spoke, he sensed something amiss; the brat’s aura suddenly surged.

This is—

At this very moment, did he break through to Second Grade?

Xie Jianqiu was startled; this kid seemed so young, yet he was about to break through to Second Grade already? How could this be possible?

Could it be that this kid is a once-in-a-century prodigy?

Focusing his gaze, he suddenly realized, "Ah, it’s the Disguise Technique!"

In an instant, Chen Ming had successfully broken through to Second Grade.

Second Grade differs from Third Grade; the crucial point is the transformation of "Divine Intent," relying on accumulated effort, breakthroughs almost occur instantly, and the surge of Gang Yuan can complete shortly.

Thus, Xie Jianqiu didn’t intervene to stop it, for it couldn’t be halted.

Besides, he was confident in his ability absolutely.

He said deeply, "Brat, which sect are you from? Reveal it, maybe we have connections, and thus, I might spare your life!"

Chen Ming gripped the Breaking Army Sword’s hilt, "Capital City Gu Family, Gu Xianyu. If the senior is willing to let us go, this junior can swear to never disclose matters regarding the Secret Realm."

"Capital City Gu Family?"

Xie Jianqiu’s eyes showed a hint of apprehension; that was indeed a prominent aristocratic family with Celestial Human Realm powerhouses. Although the Gu Family’s elder was nearing the end of his days, as long as he existed, his deterrence remains undiminished.

"Indeed, I have ties with an elder in your family. Letting you leave is unquestionably possible, but not her; this matter is non-negotiable."

He pointed not far away, towards Jiang Yingxue’s hiding place.

That young girl had the "Simurgh Phoenix Body," if he harvested it, his injuries would recover by eighty percent, possibly even further.

Too bad the girl refused to become his Dual Cultivation partner; otherwise, within months, he could reach the Peak of First Grade.

However, his current state was quite dire; even if it seemed like killing the goose to get the golden egg, he couldn’t afford carelessness. Prioritize recovering his injuries.

In a short while, Du Rusong should emerge from the Secret Realm; that’s his true enemy!

Time was of the essence!

Thinking of this, Xie Jianqiu said, "Junior of the Gu family, you can leave as long as you swear."

"Brother Gu—"

Jiang Yingxue stepped out from hiding, tears filled her eyes as she looked at Chen Ming, her lips trembling, "You... you must leave... I said I would never be a burden to you... go..."

Chen Ming glanced at her, seeing her face pale, clearly terrified to the extreme, yet she held back tears, pretended bravery, speaking those words.

"Alas."

He suddenly sighed, feeling the surging Gang Yuan within him finally calming down; his overall state reached an unprecedented peak. "I intended to spare you, why do you insist on seeking death?"